The cult of personality around Barack Obama is sickening. This sort of thing may fly in South Korea or Venezuela, but not in the United States. Obama needs to remember he works for us and we can fire him in 2012 for incompetence.

How can you tell if Barack Obama is lying? His mouth is moving. Obama has been claiming that he has fulfilled 60% of his 2008 election promises, but an independent review by the watchdog organization PolitiFact.com has determined that Obama has barely fulfilled 30% of his promises.

Sen. John Rafferty is planning a salute to area veterans in Pennsylvania's 44th Senate District with a veterans appreciation breakfast on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the SunnyBrook Ballroom in Pottstown.

Due to the capacity of the building, only those veterans who have pre-registered with Sen. Rafferty's office will be admitted as seating is limited. To register, call 610-831-8830

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Just in time for Halloween, Hauntdworld.com has released its 2011 list of the Top 13 Best Haunted Attractions in the United States.

And topping the list? A pair of haunted attractions in suburban Philadelphia: The Bates Motel and Pennhurst Asylum, both operated by the same company.

Here's what Hauntdworld.com has to say about the best haunts in the U.S.:

1. Bates Motel & Haunted Hayride and Pennhurst Asylum Haunted Attraction in Philadelphia, PA Pennsylvania: The Bates Motel Haunted House & Hayride is a unique haunted attraction for several reasons: The Haunted Hayride is located deep in a 200-year-old forest full of overgrown trees creating the ultimate dark trail even during a full moon. This puts customers on edge even before ever entering the first hayride scene. Combined with a digital custom soundtrack, pyrotechnics and continuous scares throughout the ride, this hayride attraction is sure to create the ultimate haunting experience of your life! To read a more detailed article about this attraction, visit their website at www.TheBatesMotel.com. Additionally, The Pennhurst Asylum is one of the scariest haunted attraction sites in the world, mostly due to the setting of this haunt. It's located in a 100-year-old, abandoned mental institute. The building itself will instill real fear and true horror in anyone. The Asylum has been investigated by professional ghost hunters and featured on Ghost Adventures and Ghost Hunters several times. This attraction is truly haunted. To read a more detailed article about this real haunted house visit their website at www.PennhurstAsylum.com. Bates Motel and Pennhurst Asylum are owned and operated by the same company and are within a short drive of each other. These have to be number one on our list for locations to get scared this Halloween.

Does the fact that Wendell W. Young IV makes a very comfortable salary as president of the union representing the liquor store clerk in Pennsylvania have anything to do with his opposition to the privatization of the stores?

Ending the government monopoly would raise $1.6 billion in new revenues for Pennsylvania and provide consumers with better hours, more locations and lower prices.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved legislation sponsored by Rep. Tom Quigley (R-Montgomery) that would impose harsher penalties for retail theft on repeat offenders who have completed an Accelerated Rehabilitation Program (ARD).

House Bill 1603 was introduced at the request of the Limerick Police Department, which has been dealing with a dramatic rise in retail thefts since the Philadelphia Premium Outlets opened in the township. Many of the people arrested for shoplifting are repeat offenders.

How bad is the problem? Reporter Brandie Kessler will have the following story in Wednesday's edition of The Mercury:

LIMERICK — Three men arrested for retail theft from the Philadelphia Premium Outlets over the weekend have extensive criminal histories and between them have prior arrests for rape, robbery and murder, with one of them being a registered sex offender, according to police.

That's just the latest of dozens of articles published in The Mercury about thefts from Philadelphia Premium Outlets.

From a press release issued by Quigley:

"The ARD program cannot be used as a shield for repeat offenders," said Quigley. "It is a very worthy program that helps people who genuinely made a one-time mistake, but the Legislature must close the loophole that is allowing repeat wrongdoers to be charged with multiple first offenses."

Quigley's legislation is in reaction to the case of Commonwealth v. Graeff, in which the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that because the definition of second offense in the retail theft statute did not include participation in ARD, a subsequent offense must be considered another first offense.

House Bill 1603 would correct this multiple first offense loophole, allowing prosecutors to charge defendants who participated in ARD but continue to break Pennsylvania’s retail theft law with a second-degree misdemeanor.

"This is an important bill that closes a loophole in the law which allows second-time retail theft offenders to receive a more lenient sentence reserved for first-time offenders. I would like to thank Representative Quigley for the expeditious manner in which he addressed this issue after it was brought to his attention by Limerick Township police detectives," said Limerick Township Chief of Police William J. Albany.

"House Bill 1603 is consistent with the manner in which our laws handle multiple DUI offenders who have completed ARD," said Quigley. "Enacting this measure will send the message that Pennsylvania will not tolerate continued and unabashed retail theft. Its cost to our businesses and society is too high."

The legislation, which was approved by a vote of 178-20, will now go before the Senate for its consideration.

A new website urges readers to fight back against retailers who put out Christmas decorations early.

"It seems that every year retailers put out Christmas decorations earlier and earlier, sometimes in the middle of summer," said Meghann Marco, executive editor of Consumerist.com. "We've created the 'Christmas Creep' as a device for consumers to stand up to retailers and take back summer, fall and all the holidays within these seasons."

Readers can an submit photos of their "Christmas Creep" by emailing tips@consumerist.com or at http://consumerist.com/tips. Readers can also submit photos and tips to the editors through the Consumerist Tipster app for iPhone available free on iTunes.

Responding to the orchestrated smear campaign by Berks County Democratic Party bosses, Berks County Register of Wills Larry Medaglia Jr. answers his critics' baseless accusations in this letter to the editor published in the Reading Eagle. His Democrati opponent, Barnardo Carbajal, has nothing to offer voters, so he and his political cronies keep slinging mud at Medaglia hoping something sticks.

Medaglia writes:

Hollow and dishonest charges by candidates and their supporters are nothing new. It's what you get when they have little to offer. Worse yet, Bernard Carbajal knows the truth that there is no deficit but ignores it.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Is it fair to charge parents of students who get involved in high school sports or other extra-curricular activities additional fees? Parents are already paying property taxes to support the schools. Why should they be penalized if their children want to stay active?

George Clooney's latest film, "The Ides of March," bombed at the box-office, just like every other left-leaning political film released by Hollywood. Columnist Drew Zahn offers some analysis on why liberals in Hollywood can't related to mainstream Americans.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Pennsylvania Democrats are pointing fingers at Gov. Tom Corbett (in office for just 9 months about Pennsylvania's sorry jobs totals, but the Commonwealth Foundation points out this fact:

Democrats controlled the Pennsylvania House from 2006 to 2010, with Gov. Rendell (a Democrat) in office. During that time, the state lost 137,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate doubled from 4.2 percent to an abysmal 8.5 percent.

Remember that 3.6 percent cost-of-living adjustment that was supposed to kick in for Social Security recipients in January? Forget about it. Higher Medicare Part B premiums will most likely wipe out as much as one-fourth of the anticipated Social Security raise.

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) praised the U.S. Senate's confirmation of Mark Hornak to be a U.S. District judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Robert Mariani to be a U.S. District judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

"Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to meet separately with both Mr. Hornak and Mr. Mariani, and I am very confident of their intellect, their experience, their integrity, temperament, commitment to public service and to their understanding of the proper role of a judge."

"Mark Hornak has been a careful student of the law throughout his career and has demonstrated an intellectual curiosity and a commitment to integrity, which I know will serve him well. Robert Mariani's diligence, professionalism and knowledge of the law will be an asset to the bench. I believe that these character traits and this range of experience will enable them to effectively serve the people of Pennsylvania."

The Senate voted Monday to confirm Cathy Bissoon as a U.S. District judge for the Western District of Pennsylvania.

Sen. Toomey submitted blue slips to the Senate Judiciary Committee to approve Hornak, Mariani and Bissoon in June, signaling the senator's support and allowing the Judiciary Committee to move forward with judicial hearings and the confirmation process.

Sen. Toomey spoke in support of the three judicial nominees at their July Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing as well as on the Senate floor on Monday.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Remember when Barack Obama said there was no funding for abortions in his Obamacare bill so the so-called conservative Democrats would go along with the bill? He lied. Now Obama is threatening to veto a Republican-sponsored bill that would remove the abortion funding (that Obama denied was in Obamacare in the first place).

Focused on improving operations and reducing waste, the The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has a confidential tip line, 1-855-693-2062, and an online site to report fraud involving the state's liquor store system.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

READING — The largest ethnic food festival in Berks County returns for its 41st year on the weekend of Oct. 14-15-16 at Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church.

Thousands of visitors are expected to attend the Greek Food Bazaar to enjoy authentic Greek food and pastry and live music and dancing.

The food is prepared and cooked on the premises by church members using traditional family recipes.

The most popular dish is Athenian-style chicken, which comes in a platter with a side of rice pilaf, Greek-style string beans, a Greek salad, roll and butter for $10. You can substitute Plaki (fresh fish fillet baked with vegetables, herbs and wine) for the platter meal on Friday.

All food items are available to eat-in in the church social hall or take-out.A variety of imported Greek wines and spirits, including Ouzo, an anise-flavored liqueur, will also be served.

While enjoying a meal in the main dining hall, visitors will be treated to Greek and American music by Stavros & Maria, a brother-sister duo who are also church members.The church’s youth dance group, Kefi, will perform traditional Greek dances throughout the weekend wearing colorful costumes.

After a hearty meal, there’s plenty to see and do on the church grounds. An Agora (Greek market) offers packaged Greek foods and prepared dishes to go. The Kafenio (Greek coffee house) features fresh-brewed Greek-style coffee, rice pudding and pastries in a relaxed atmosphere.

Visitors can also shop for original artwork, gold jewelry and items imported from Greece in various gift rooms.

Festival-goers can also view one of the largest collections of Byzantine iconography in the United States. Guided tours of the church interior are provided on the hour.

A popular stop for all visitors is the pastry room, where you can pick between popular treats like Baklava (almonds, butter, and honey layered in flaky pastry), Teelikta (walnuts, butter and honey rolled in flaky pastry); Kourabiethes (butter cookies topped with powdered sugar), Koulourakia (Greek twisted butter cookie) and Galaktobouriko (a filo pastry filled with custard and moistened with honey syrup).

Hours are noon to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free. The event is held rain or shine.

Additional parking is available across the street at Berks Catholic High School.The church is located at 1001 E. Wyomissing Blvd., about one mile from Business Route 222 South (Lancaster Avenue), just turn onto Hancock Boulevard between the two car dealerships and stay on the road until you see the church.

A Berks County Court of Common Pleas judge has tossed the conviction against Pennsylvania State Sen. Bob Mensch stemming from an alleged road rage incident earlier this year. It was a weak case against Mensch, so there's no surprise the charges were overturned on appeal.

The Obama Administration has ordered election officials in 25 states to provide bilingual ballots (primarily Spanish) for voters who do not speak English. An advocacy group says this is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

Monday, October 10, 2011

The Associated Press' Erica Werner takes apart Obama's latest convoluted message on jobs, focusing on Obama's version of reality, which has nothing to do with reality.

Bottom line? It's not about jobs, an area where Obama has failed miserably during the past three years, it's about setting up his re-election campaign for 2012. The nation's tens of millions of unemployed are mere pawns in Obama's game.

From Werner's article:

The disconnect between what Obama says about his jobs bill and what stands as the political reality flow from his broader aim: to rally the public behind his cause and get Congress to act, or, if not, to pin blame on Republicans.

He is waging a campaign, one in which nuance and context and competing responses don't always fit in if they don't help make the case.

"Bob Casey promised he would usher in an era of fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets in Washington, but instead he's spent the last several years rubber-stamping President Obama's liberal agenda, maxing out the government credit card and driving our national debt through the roof while failing to create the jobs he promised. That's why we believe this will be among the most competitive races in the country next year." – Chris Bond, NRSC spokesman

There are 14 million people counted as unemployed in the United States. An additional 9.3 million are working part time and would rather work full time. And 2.5 million more have simply given up looking for a job.

That's $25.8 million people with no hope as long as Obama occupies the White House!!!

Chester County Controller Val DiGiorgio was elected chairman of the Republican Committee of Chester County Republicans on Saturday.

DiGiorgio defeated GOP Committeeman John Emmons by a 268-89 margin during a party gathering at West Chester East High School. Emmons is a tea party activist and co-founder of Emmons co-founded the Coalition for Advancing Freedom.

DiGeorgio replaces Joseph 'Skip' Brion, who resigned after 10 years as chairman to take a position with the Corbett administration.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced today the PA 562 Bridge over Antietam Creek in St. Lawrence, Berks County, will open Monday (Oct. 10) afternoon.

From a PennDOT release:

Route 562 has been closed and detoured between Prospect and Bingaman streets since February while crews replaced the structurally deficient bridge. The official detour routed traffic over Business Route 422 and Oley Turnpike Road.

Crews replaced the two-span concrete T-beam bridge with a single span pre-stressed concrete spread box beam bridge. The project also included minor approach work to tie into the existing roadway and other miscellaneous construction.

Grace Industries Inc. of Bath, Pa., is the general contractor on the $1,626,460 project.

The PA 562 Bridge was constructed in 1926 and was 67 feet long and 33 feet wide. The new Bridge is 68 feet long and 52 feet wide. This section of Route 562 has an average daily traffic volume of 8,848 vehicles.

Wednesday, October 05, 2011

Congressman Jim Gerlach, R-PA 6th Dist., is partnering with state and federal agencies to provide information about international trade to local employers.

Gerlach will be holding a Free Trade Agreement Forum for local businesses on Friday to provide information about the resources available for employers interested in selling their American-made products overseas.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Chester County Economic Development CouncilWHEN: Registration and light refreshments will be served at 8:00 A.M. The program will begin at 8:30 A.M. and end at 12 noon.WHERE: Chester County Economic Development Council, 737 Constitution Drive, Exton PA 19341

From a press release issued by Gerlach:

President Obama this week sent free trade agreements with South Korea, Panama and Colombia to Congress for ratification. These free trade pacts are expected to create new opportunities and new jobs for local companies by lifting tariffs and other barriers imposed on U.S. goods.

The Small Business Administration, Export-Import Bank, U.S. Commercial Service, World Trade Center Philadelphia, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development will discuss the array of resources available to companies. Two local businesses – Allied Wire & Cable of Collegeville and Analytical Graphics Inc. of Exton -- also will share tips on how they have succeeded in international trade.

After 20 years on the air, the show that made the Fox Network may be coming to an end?

'The Simpsons' could become a victim of declining ratings and greedy voice actors.

From The Los Angeles Times:

This season, "The Simpsons" has averaged 7.1 million viewers. That is a drop of nearly 19% from five years ago, when the show averaged 8.7 million viewers. In the coveted category of viewers ages 18 to 49, ratings for "The Simpsons" have fallen 17%.

Most shows experience ratings declines as they age. The conundrum is that production costs rise at the same time because producers and actors typically get big raises the longer a program stays on the air.

Total Pageviews

Why Politics Matter

“Politics, the crooked timber of our communal lives, dominates everything because, in the end, everything – high and low and, most especially, high – lives or dies by politics. You can have the most advanced and efflorescent of cultures. Get your politics wrong, however, and everything stands to be swept away. This is not ancient history. This is Germany 1933.” –– Charles Krauthammer

ShareThis

About Me

Tony A. Phyrillas is a leading conservative columnist, commentator and blogger based in Pennsylvania.
A veteran newspaperman with three decades experience as a reporter, editor, photographer and columnist, Phyrillas received a first place award in 2010 for best column from the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors and a first place award in 2007 for Best Opinion Column from Suburban Newspapers of America. He was recognized for column writing in 2007 by the Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Chapter and in 2006 by the SPJ Greater Philadelphia Chapter.
Phyrillas is ranked among the most influential political bloggers in Pennsylvania by BlogNetNews.com.
Odyssey: The World of Greece magazine named Phyrillas one of the leading Greek-American bloggers in the world.
A Penn State University graduate, Phyrillas is the editor/content manager of The Mercury, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper in Pottstown, Pa.
Phyrillas made frequent appearances on talk radio and as a panelist on the "Journalists Roundtable" program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.
He co-hosted a weekly radio program on WPAZ 1370 AM for 2 years.